Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Justice Srem-Sai, has dismissed suggestions of a rift between the Attorney-General’s Department and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), insisting that government remains open to granting prosecutorial authorisation when formally requested.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM on Friday, April 17, 2026, he said the situation should not be interpreted as a breakdown in cooperation between the two institutions, but rather a procedural issue linked to the OSP’s interpretation of its independence.

“Why not? Why won’t we authorise them if they apply for it? We have been liaising with the Office of the Special Prosecutor since we came to office,” he said.

Justice Srem-Sai said both institutions continue to engage behind the scenes, even if such interactions are not always visible to the public.

“There are so many things that we have done, some of which I cannot account for. So, there’s no issue about liaising or not. Why won’t we? That’s the question I am asking,” he stated.

However, he noted that the OSP has not been seeking such authorisation, insisting that the office considers itself constitutionally independent and therefore not required to do so.

“OSP is not interested in coming for the authorisation. That is because the OSP says that it is independent and doesn’t require authorisation. That is the issue at the centre of it,” he explained.

He stressed that the ongoing public discussion risks misrepresenting the core legal issue if reduced to a question of approval or refusal.

“The whole argument is the independence of the Special Prosecutor, which is at the core of this issue. So if you simplify the matter and you say that it’s just about giving authorization and not giving it, then you probably have completely left the issue aside and you’re addressing a completely different issue,” he added.

His comments follow a High Court ruling on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, which directed the Attorney-General’s Department to assume control of all ongoing criminal prosecutions being handled by the OSP, pending formal authorisation from the Attorney-General.

The ruling effectively places those cases under the Attorney-General’s supervision for now, preventing the OSP from continuing with them in their current form.

The court also declared existing prosecutions initiated by the OSP as “null and void,” a decision that could require the state to refile or restart affected cases under the Attorney-General’s authority, depending on subsequent legal steps.

NA/MA